The underground passage remained dark.
Only the faint light from Pythia's mana illuminated the rough stone walls.
Kaelira continued running while wearing Draven's cloak.
Her ears remained alert, constantly twitching at every distant sound.
Beside her—
Pythia moved swiftly through the passage.
Ryke followed closely behind them.
He was breathing heavily.
His chest rose and fell rapidly as he forced his exhausted body to keep moving.
"...Wait..."
He struggled to catch his breath.
"...Slow down..."
Neither of them stopped.
Ryke gritted his teeth.
*Damn it...*
*They're both monsters...*
*How are they still moving this fast...?*
He pushed himself harder.
His legs burned.
His lungs felt as though they were on fire.
Yet he refused to fall behind.
The three continued deeper through the underground passage.
Their footsteps echoed through the darkness.
Then—
Pythia suddenly stopped.
She landed gently on the ground.
Kaelira immediately stopped beside her.
Ryke nearly crashed into both of them.
"...What?"
Pythia looked toward a narrow passage ahead.
"...We can get out through here."
She pointed toward the end of the passage.
Above them—
A large stone entrance was sealed shut.
Ryke stared upward.
"...Finally."
He immediately stepped forward.
"...I'll go first."
Kaelira glanced at him.
Her ears twitched.
"...Of course you will."
Ryke looked back.
"...What?"
Kaelira crossed her arms.
"...You'll do anything to save your own skin."
Ryke didn't even bother denying it.
"...Yeah."
He grabbed the edge of the stone entrance.
"...Obviously."
He began climbing.
Kaelira stared at him.
"...At least you're honest."
Ryke ignored her.
He continued climbing toward the sealed entrance.
Then—
Kaelira's ears suddenly twitched.
She stopped.
"...Wait."
Ryke paused halfway up.
"...What?"
Kaelira tilted her head.
She listened.
For several seconds—
She said nothing.
Her ears moved slightly from side to side as she focused on the sounds coming from above.
Then—
Her expression slowly changed.
"...That's a lot of noise."
Ryke frowned.
"...Noise?"
Kaelira's ears twitched again.
"...Coming from above."
She looked toward the sealed entrance.
"...I didn't think too much about it before."
"...But now..."
Her eyes narrowed.
"...It sounds like something is happening."
Ryke stopped climbing.
He glanced toward her.
"...What are you talking about?"
Kaelira remained focused on the sounds above.
"...There are lots of people."
Her expression became more serious.
"...I can hear screaming."
Ryke's expression tightened.
"...Screaming?"
Kaelira nodded.
"...And footsteps."
She listened again.
"...A lot of them."
Another distant sound reached them.
Muffled through the thick stone—
but unmistakable.
People were running.
Several voices shouted at once.
Ryke slowly looked toward the entrance.
"...What the hell is happening up there?"
Pythia stepped forward.
Her expression remained calm.
Mana slowly gathered around her body.
The surrounding darkness was faintly illuminated by its glow.
She raised one hand.
"...I'll scout ahead."
Ryke immediately looked toward her.
"...Yeah, you do that."
Pythia didn't answer.
A thin magic circle appeared before her.
The formation rotated slowly.
Several lines of runes crossed over one another before gradually becoming transparent.
Pythia closed her eyes.
"...**Darkness Echoes.**"
The spell spread outward.
A faint pulse passed through the sealed passage.
Then another.
Pythia remained completely still.
Her consciousness followed the mana as it traveled through the stone above them.
For several seconds—
Nothing happened.
Then—
Her expression changed slightly.
Her eyes opened.
"...There are people above."
Kaelira's ears twitched.
"...How many?"
Pythia paused.
"...Too many to count."
Ryke's face tightened.
"...Civilians?"
Pythia nodded.
"...Yes."
She lowered her hand.
"...They're being evacuated."
Ryke released a small breath.
"...So the city knows something is happening."
Kaelira looked upward.
Her ears twitched again.
"...I can hear them."
She frowned.
"...But there's something else."
Pythia looked toward her.
Kaelira's expression became more serious.
"...Something huge."
She listened carefully.
"...The sound is coming from farther away."
Another distant roar suddenly shook the stone around them.
**ROOOOOOAAARRR—!!**
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Ryke's face immediately paled.
"...What the hell was that?"
Kaelira's ears flattened.
"...That."
Pythia remained silent.
Her eyes narrowed.
"...A Rift Breaker."
Ryke froze.
"...A what?"
Pythia looked toward the sealed entrance.
Her expression remained calm, but her eyes had become noticeably colder.
"...One has reached the surface."
Silence.
Ryke stared at her.
"...You're saying..."
His voice lowered.
"...One of those things..."
He swallowed.
"...Is in the city?"
Pythia nodded.
"...Yes."
Another distant impact followed.
**BOOOOOOM—!!**
The entire underground passage trembled.
Small stones broke loose from the ceiling and fell around them.
Kaelira tightened her grip on Draven's cloak.
Her eyes narrowed.
"...We need to get out."
Ryke immediately nodded.
"...Definitely."
He hurried toward the sealed entrance.
"...Then let's stop standing around!"
He grabbed the edge of the stone mechanism and began climbing toward the upper section.
Kaelira followed.
Pythia remained behind them for a moment.
Her gaze lingered on the passage they had come through.
The darkness seemed deeper than before.
Then—
Her eyes shifted toward the ceiling.
Another distant tremor passed through the stone.
Pythia's expression softened.
"...My Lord..."
She quietly whispered.
"...Please return safely."
For a brief moment—
She remained there.
Then—
She turned.
Without another word—
She followed the others.